Mexican Night

A couple of weeks ago we had what I like to refer to as "Mexican night"...which really means that I cook a bunch of recipes that are as close to real Mexican food as I have discovered,,,and long for California. I usually end up making quite a bit of food, so it also means that we get to have company and introduce some deprived souls to the amazing flavors that this ethnicity of food has to offer...so all around a good experience!
This time I made enchiladas, rice, beans, and had a friend bring guacamole. I didn't follow my usual protocol of making a batch of homemede salsa, which I immediately regretted as I put the first chip dipped in Pace brand salsa in my mouth...I will be making some very soon. I also didn't make the usual appetizer of chile rellenos...partially because of laziness and partially because there were only five of us eating, and we already had quite a bit of food. I also think that next time I will attempt to make flan for dessert and horchata to drink (two things I have always wanted to make, they add a sweet balance to a spicy meal).
Enough about the things I did not make, one thing that I did make is Mexican rice according to a recipe that has been handed down to me from my mother-in-law...possibly my very favorite one that she has shared with me. It is ridiculously easy to make, very forgiving, and, of course, delicious. If you didn't want to make a whole mexican spread, you could certainly whip up some of this, put it in a tortilla with a little sour cream and call it a meal. It's that good. For you 24/7 carnivores out there, some ground beef or grilled chicken would be required to complete the meal. Regardless of your protein needs,,,you need to make this very soon...it's simply being unfair to your taste buds to deny them this,

Mexican Rice

I cup uncooked rice
vegetable or canola oil
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
black pepper
1 can of tomatoes
3 bouillon cubes
21/2 cups pf water
1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup of onion, chopped

Just cover the bottom of a medium saucepan with oil (1-2 Tbsp). Toast rice in oil until golden brown. Add garlic and black pepper (a few shakes/grinds will do). Add tomatoes, water, and bouillon and stir until cubes are mostly dissolved. Place green pepper and onion on top of rice and simmer over med-lo heat until all liquid is absorbed.

You could always add more onion or bell pepper to taste...in fact, since my husband despises bell pepper, I usually leave it out completely. You could also use Rotel instead of plain tomatoes to make it a little spicier. Have fun with it!

Loving Your Kitchen

This post will have no recipes or really any food related things in it...mostly some thoughts I have been having regarding my kitchen, and how much I have grown to love it.

Before being introduced to my current kitchen, the one I have cooked more meals in than all the other kitchens I have been exposed to combined, I was spoiled. I came from a world where a kitchen only qualified as such if it had granite countertops, brand new appliances, and carefully picked tile floors. In fact, I'm not sure that I thought that another type of kitchen existed unless you were in complete poverty. I was wrong. When we moved to Auburn, I was extremely excited and optimistic about the move. Nathan had told me so much about this wonderful place, and the fact that he loved it so much made me love it and long for it. The only problem was the living situation. As we looked for a place to rent, I became very discouraged...we could not afford anything like what I was accustomed to...and the kitchens were all geared towards non-cooking college students. I was determined to make the best of our situation though, and convinced myself that I was pleased with our choice.

Within a week of moving in our dishwasher stopped working, I burnt brownies for the first time (our oven is 150-200 degrees hotter than what it is set to), and we realized that our ice-maker in the freezer didn't work. Not to mention that it was not even close to my aesthetic standards. I was in my version of kitchen hell. How was I going to make delicious yet nourishing meals for my family? Were we destined to eating out or eating microwaveable meals the rest of our time in Auburn?

Well, we are still here, and I have made many delicious meals (quite successfully) and...I love my kitchen. We have made thousands of great memories in it over the past two years, fed a lot of people that we love, and (once I bought an oven thermometer) I have enjoyed every minute of it. Sure, I have to fill ice trays every time we have guests, check the oven at least five times every time I make bread, and flip the kitchen breaker every time I want to put a lemon peel down the disposal...but we are still able to eat every morning, noon, and night...and for that I am grateful. Also, I have learned that a good kitchen is more about the people you are able to feed with the food and other resources that God gives you (and the love you can show them through doing so) than how closely it represents a picture in a magazine. Something that God, in His infinite grace and wisdom chose to teach me early in both my life and cooking career. Thank you Lord for knowing me and for even in this small way humbling me and showing Your love for me.